A Gifted Moment
by myownmind
Summary: Dr. Michael Holt is mugged. He loses his memory and is found by an unstable homeless woman. Could his day get any worse? Let's find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'A Gifted Man'. (Too bad) I'm not making any money off this and I do not intend any disrespect to the owners of the show and the actors that make it incredible. **

_This is my first story for this show. I love the show and had to try my hand at beating the crap out of Dr. Michael Holt. It is what I do best (I hope you agree). Let me know if I should continue. Thanks for reading!_

Chapter One

His feet hit the cement at a rhythmic pace, in time with the music playing on his iPod. The world around him was filled with other New York residents as they went about their day. All Dr. Michael Holt was aware of was the music pounding in his ears, the strength of his long, lean muscles propelling him along the road and the air rushing in and out of his lungs. Life was good.

Dr. Holt worked very hard to keep his body in its top form. He also worked very hard to keep everything in his life under control. His body was in peak condition and he was at the top of his chosen profession. Holt Neuro was his business. It was his life. When he operated on people he almost felt like a god. Despite his inflated ego, even he knew it was as close to perfection he was ever going to get.

Well, compared to this moment. He loved to run. He loved the feel of his body moving like an engine, propelling him forward. He easily side stepped anyone or anything that got in his way. All that mattered was the run.

Around the doctor merchants were opening up their stores, people were shopping, buying coffee, etc. It was a busy street, not one he usually travelled. New York City was a busy place but there were occasionally places to go where you could almost feel like you were alone. This was not one of those places.

He should have been on his way to work but Dr. Holt knew that there were no new patients until this afternoon. The few patients he currently had were all doing well and didn't really need his immediate attention. He had full confidence in his people to take proper care of them until he got there and even after. It just felt too good to be moving.

While he ran, Michael thought about things. Everything. From his dry cleaning to the ghost of his late wife that kept popping up. To the surgery he had scheduled for the next day. He was so preoccupied that he wasn't really even aware of where he was. Paying attention for the first time in half an hour, he realized he wasn't where he expected to be.

"Damn it," Michael swore as he ran in place while trying to get his bearings. He knew every part of this city, how the hell had he gotten lost? The back alley he was facing down was dirty as hell and apparently deserted. Looking around, he suddenly knew how to get to work. Unfortunately, it required a quick run through Central Park. Not a great idea, even at this time of day. Steeling himself, Michael turned back down the alley and bounded down the street.

This is a really bad idea, Michael thought as he made his way into the Park. There were trees. He'd seen enough trees and wildlife while he lived in Alaska. He had very little desire to see more here, where people could be hiding. Rather than take a chance, Michael stayed on the wider, more populated paths.

It was a good plan. It just didn't go quite as expected. Michael was feeling a little better. He was nearly there, just a tunnel and another hundred yards and he would be back in civilization. Entering the tunnel, Michael was relieved to see the light at the other end of it. Running as hard as his now exhausted body would let him, he was half way through when he spotted them. Three young guys were entering the far end.

They were rough looking, maybe street people, or gang members. Shaking his head, Michael knew from his experiences at the Clinica he knew better than to start stereotyping people. Still, as he got closer, he realized they made him a little nervous. Despite his peak condition, his size and his aspiring hockey career, Michael wasn't a big fighter. There was too high a chance of hurting his hands. He made his living with his hands and having them injured in any way would be a catastrophe. Michael wasn't good at taking a back seat and letting others do things, especially when it came to surgery.

Slowing his pace slightly, Michael tried to not make eye contact while still staying out of their way. The last thing he needed was a confrontation. He was nearly out of there.

"Hey, man. Nice phones," one of the three youths stated when they were still several feet away. Michael's stomach dropped down around his ankles. Damn. Not what he needed. Quickly, he checked his watch, probably not the best idea because that brought even more hazing from the trio as they came closer.

"Look, I need to get to work," Michael said as he slipped his cell into his hand. His thumb was hovering over it, ready to call 911 if things got any worse. He didn't get the chance.

"Too bad," a new voice stated from behind him. Startled, Michael chanced turning away from the trio that had stopped ten feet in front of him to glance in the other direction. There were three more young men six feet away. While his attention was divided, the first group pounced.

Fists and feet flew at him from the front. Before Michael had a chance to press the button on his cell it was knocked out of his hand. It all happened so fast that he didn't have the presence of mind to try to talk the group out of beating on him. Suddenly he found himself on his right side on the ground, his knees drawn up to protect his stomach and his arms wrapped around his head. It was an instinctual move.

It didn't seem to have any effect as blows continued to rain down on him while he felt hands rummaging through his few pockets. He was relieved of his iPod, his keys and his watch. They all ready had his cell. That didn't seem to satisfy them because so far they hadn't found any money. Amid the pain, sweat and spit that were his new reality, Michael felt first one shoe being removed and then the other.

"There's nothing there," a male voice growled. Michael was only vaguely aware as his pants were pulled off and his sweat shirt was removed. They were expensive, a brand name. Maybe he didn't carry cash or much in the way of ID while he ran between home and work, the group was going to get what they could.

Michael grunted as a steel toed boot struck him in his right kidney. His body stiffened automatically, which exposed his stomach and chest. The group didn't waste the opportunity. The blows continued to fall. Michael felt three ribs on his left side crack. Another kick in the same area caused pain to expand and envelope Michael as the damaged bone broke.

His vision turned red as his body finally began to respond to the assault it was enduring. The blows blended together. Michael's world contracted to the pain, the helplessness, the anger that was pouring through him. Then, just as he thought he couldn't stand it anymore a random kick to his head ended his torment as unconsciousness descended like a curtain at the end of a play.

"Let's get out of here," one of the group suggested as the man went limp. They had everything of value. The man was left wearing nothing but his underwear. Everything else could be sold. Maybe then he and his two siblings would have something more than cereal to eat for supper tonight. Grasping the expensive phone, he waited for his friends to join him. This wasn't what he'd expected to do with his life. But, it was better than welfare.

"Yeah, let's go," his best friend responded. He'd grabbed the iPod. As they left the tunnel he scrolled through the songs. Damn but this guy had really bad taste in music.

OOOOO

She'd seen them. It wasn't the first time the group had used the ploy. It always seemed to work like a charm. Stupid idiots, going into the tunnel. Didn't they know it led to that dark place? Inez pushed her cart a little closer. They must have been really angry. Usually the person they robbed was up and around long before now. This one was lying still in a pool of blood that was slowly gathering under him.

Most of the locals knew to avoid the tunnel. They'd seen and learned very quickly that the kids used it to ambush people. Anyone with a brain could figure that out. Inez shook her head in disgust. Idiot. She had half a mind to just walk away. Pausing in turning her cart, the red haired woman looked back at him. He was lying on his side, his bare back all ready showing nasty red marks and cuts that were bleeding freely.

Damn, damn, damn. Cursing under her breath, Inez pushed her cart towards the man. There was no one else around. As much as she wanted to leave the idiot there she just couldn't. He was too close to the dark. It would drag him under and he would come back as a zombie, like the others.

Inez had seen them, the zombies. They'd moved through the park a few days ago, or was it weeks? She had trouble keeping track of time. One of her friends had tried to tell her that they were actors for a movie but she didn't believe her. She'd seen them. One had ripped a man apart and she'd seen it eating his flesh. That was no movie.

Her cart creaking through the tunnel, seeming even louder than usual, Inez moved closer. He hadn't moved, the idiot. Now that she was closer she could see that he would have been kind of handsome, if you liked too thin, too muscular men. Inez huffed. Her Roger had been a big man. That was how she liked him. It was too bad that being that big had caused his heart to give out.

"Hey," Inez said, as she pushed at the man with the toe of her shoe. "Wake up." There was no response.

Huffing a breath out, Inez took the time to look around. Yep, she was still the only one there. Well, damn it. Using her foot, she shook the man again. All she got was a low moan. Well, that was an improvement. A few more nudges and the moan turned to a groan.

"Well, shit," Inez said as she carefully knelt beside the nearly naked man. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and shook his shoulder. His skin was hot and moist under her hand. Absently, Inez moved her hand to the close cropped dark blond hair. She ran her fingers through it as a low hum came from her throat.

"Anna?" a low voice asked. Startled, Inez pulled back and scrambled back to her feet. She put the cart between herself and the moaning and groaning man on the ground, just in case.

"No, my name is Inez," she said. It was the least she could do.

"AAahhh," the man said as he tried to move and his body protested heavily. His hand came up and tentatively touched a goose egg sized bump between his left ear and eye.

"You need to drag your ass to the hospital," Inez instructed as she prepared to push her cart back the way she came. The dark was too close. She could feel it speaking to her, trying to entice her to join it. That was not going to happen.

"W..w..what?" the man asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He was blinking rapidly, his blue eyes trying to focus on the world around him. None of this was making sense.

"You're hurt. Go to the hospital. Or that clinic the others keep talking about," Inez said. She had her cart four feet away, now five. Just a few more minutes and she'd been back out of the tunnel. Then she would breathe better.

"W..where am I?" the man asked. He'd managed to prop himself off the ground by a whole three inches. Groaning piteously, he collapsed back onto the ground. He hurt all over. Some places hurt worse than others but it was hard to tell with the general cacophony. Bile rose in his throat. All he could do was keep conscious as his body heaved, relieving him of everything he'd eaten. The smell made the heaves continue. With each convulsion, his vision dimmed and nearly disappeared as his body exploded further in pain.

"Damn it," Inez cursed again. She'd turned back at the sound of the man throwing up. That was bad. She couldn't leave him. With each heave she could see what little strength he'd had evaporating. With one last look around Inez turned her cart back towards him. Yep. She was still the only one fool enough to come in here.

"What's your name?" Inez asked as she none too gently pulled the large man away from the pool of vomit he'd produced. This was going to be hard enough without trying to not step in the mess. Inez was not bringing that back to her home on her shoes.

"Name?" the man managed from the ground. While he felt better having some distance between the vomit and his head, the rough treatment had sent his body into a flurry of pain and heat.

"Your name, fool, your name. What did your mom call you?" Inez growled as she surveyed her cart. All of the items were precious. She'd collected them herself today. It tore her heart out to part with any of it.

"I...don't know," the man managed between grunts and moans. The pain was intensifying. The vomiting hadn't helped anything. What the hell had happened to him? Was the strange red haired woman with the cart responsible? Somehow that didn't make sense. She wouldn't be trying to help him now. Right?

"Damn it," Inez cursed. That was that. He was in worse trouble than she'd thought. Maybe she should take him to that clinic place? Then she looked down at the other end of the tunnel. No. The dark had found him. It wanted him. She couldn't let that happen. The doctors at the clinic wouldn't understand. She was the only one who knew how to help him now.

Growling under her breath, Inez upended her cart. She manoeuvred it until it was behind the man on its side. Not bothering to prepare the man at all, she shoved him bodily into the cart. A stifled scream was her reward and then he went completely limp as he lost consciousness again.

"You can't have him," Inez said, shooting a warning look at the encroaching darkness. With a strength that seemed improbable given her slight stature, Inez pushed the cart up into an upright position, the man's too tall body hanging all over the place.

Quickly, Inez adjusted his various limbs until as much of him was inside as she could get. Then she rummaged through her treasures she'd dumped on the ground. Coming up with a heavy coat and two holey blankets, she covered his nearly naked body. Glancing one more time at the things she was leaving behind, Inez turned the cart for the last time and headed out of the tunnel. She was going to have to get him home quickly. It was getting cold outside. Humming under her breath, she exited the tunnel and pointed the cart towards home.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hello! I know only a few people are following this story but it won't leave me alone so I'll continue to write it. Besides, so long as one other person enjoys it, it's worth sharing, right?_

_Thanks for reading!_

_Susanne_

Chapter Two

Ignoring the moans and groans coming from the man in the cart, Inez continued to push him towards her home. Clearly, he was in a great deal of discomfort. Cramming his long frame into the metal cage probably didn't help matters much but there was no way in hell Inez was trying to carry him. All ready she was regretting the loss of the things she'd dumped to bring him along.

"Pain in the ass," Inez grunted as she pushed the cart up a long hill. Ahead of her she heard an odd sound. It took a moment for her to recognize it. Her charge had just thrown up again. Sighing in exasperation, Inez waited until she'd reached the top of the hill before stopping to check on him. Luckily, he'd brought up just a little bit of bile. Wiping at his mouth with the blanket, she paused to inspect him a little closer. Damn but he was handsome under the welts and bruises that were springing up. Someone would be looking for him eventually. Well, she'd worry about that later.

"Let's get you home before you catch your death," Inez said as she went back to pushing. Under her fingers she'd found his skin to be cold and a little damp. With everything that was all ready wrong with the man she didn't want to tempt fate and have him catch a cold as well.

For some reason the Park seemed to be particularly deserted at the moment. That was just as well. Inez tried to keep her home secret. It was pretty nice and she didn't want to have to fight others for it. Only her closest friends had been allowed inside. That was about to change.

She felt a lot like Vincent from 'Beauty and the Beast' as she pushed the over weighted cart towards a large metal grate that covered one of the tunnels leading to the underground. Every time she entered this spot the theme song from the show played through her mind.

In an effort to keep her home hidden Inez took several different routes to reach it. This was the most immediate from where she'd found the man. As much as it went against her instincts, she wanted to get him in some place safe fast. Pausing to look around to make sure no one was watching, Inez double checked twice before reaching down and unhooking the grate. The lock had been broken for months now but the city workers hadn't bothered to replace it. By adjusting her routes, Inez had led them to believe that no one accessed the grate regularly so it wasn't a priority.

"Hold on, we're almost there," Inez assured the man as they entered the tunnel. She paused long enough to close the grate and put the lock back on. At a glance it looked like it was locked. Usually, that was all the time the workers gave it. That suited her just fine.

It was dark and wet inside the tunnel. It was also very familiar to Inez. The wheels of the cart squeaking, she continued to push it down the tunnel. In the metal confines, Michael shifted uncomfortably. Even unconscious the metal wires were pushing against far too tender areas. Slumped in the cart the way he was he was having trouble breathing properly as well. Every bump of the cart sent shock waves of pain slamming through his body. The two combined to keep the respected doctor unconscious.

Several hundred yards into the tunnel, Inez turned off the main line and moved into a smaller one. It was still large enough for the cart but just barely. Inez didn't like to carry her treasures so that was one of the prerequisites of her homes. They had to be accessible enough for the carts.

The darkness was stifling. Inez knew the way though and didn't hesitate to take another turn. Several feet in Inez turned again and stopped. Leaving the cart where it was she stepped into a particularly dark spot. A thick dark blanket moved aside to reveal a large open area. Satisfied that no one had invade her home, she went back, got the cart and pushed the man into her home.

The darkness was even more complete than before. Still, Inez knew exactly where she was. Leaving the cart by the door, she stepped further in, reaching out. Instantly she located what she wanted and had a gas lantern lit in seconds. The wan light was enough for her. Returning to the cart, she moved it over to the neat pile of blankets that she used as a bed.

"You're not getting all of them," Inez muttered as she stripped half the blankets off and made a bed perpendicular to her own, along the other wall of the alcove. She had no idea what the area had been originally intended for but it worked well as her home. There was a ridge that ran the entire length of the three walls. On it were lined out her numerous treasures that made her life easier. The entrance was fairly small, but wide enough for her and her cart. The thick blanket that hung over it kept its existence secret from anyone passing by outside.

The blankets sorted, Inez turned her attention to the man in the cart. He was still unconscious, too tall and too heavy. Not having a lot of options, Inez positioned the cart and simply dumped it over, sending Michael tumbling onto the blankets. The only problem was that the wall brought him up short. Oh well, it was the best she could do under the circumstances.

Rolling Michael over onto his back, Inez took a moment to straighten out his limbs and his body. For the first time since being put in the cart Michael was able to pull nearly a full breath into his starved lungs. Still, he remained unconscious as Inez looked him over in the light of the lantern.

"Boy, they sure had fun with you, didn't they?" Inez said as she took in the multiple bruises, welts and contusions covering his muscular body. "Well, I guess I'd best get started."

Leaving the man on the blankets, Inez turned to her supply of water. She hated to do it but most times she stole it from the side taps on peoples' houses. It was that or the river. She trusted the city water more. Though, she still boiled it a few times just to make sure. No use taking chances.

She poured some water in an old battered bowl. Then Inez got one of her cleaner rags and her bar of soap. After she got the dirt and sweat off she'd switch to hydrogen peroxide of something stronger. She had the feeling she was going to need a lot of it. Satisfied, she moved over to her charge. He hadn't moved or made a sound. That was just as well, Inez didn't much like to talk, unless it was to herself.

"Let's see what we have here," Inez said as she knelt down beside Michael's head. It was as good a place to start as any. Despite her gruff words, Inez swabbed at the cuts and bumps she found there with surprising gentleness.

Under her fingers, Inez felt the man shift a little. Washing his wounds was hurting him. Too bad. It was better than getting an infection. Finished with his head, she moved onto his throat and torso. It was a little uncomfortable for her to be touching such a fine specimen of manhood. Inez was in her forties but she wasn't dead. Not yet anyway.

With her cloth, Inez gently pressed against a particularly large bruise on Michael's side. There was a fairly deep round scrape in the middle of it. She assumed it was one of the places the hoodlums had kicked him. Michael shifted, a low groan issuing from his mouth as he tried, unsuccessfully, to get away from the prying fingers.

"Shush," Inez grunted as she pressed a little harder. The groan changed to a moan as Michael came closer to consciousness. Still, he tried to pull away from her but he was all ready against the wall. There was nowhere to go. The soap she used stung in the wound, the pressure caused the bruise to send stabbing pains through him.

"Aaah," Michael grunted as his blue eyes fluttered open. Scared, in pain, not really sure where the hell he was, Michael pulled away from Inez. In the light of the lantern, the woman was little more than a shadow with wild looking hair. "Who?" Michael managed as the woman gave up and sat back on her haunches.

"Inez. Who the hell are you?" the woman shot back. His being awake was interfering with her getting his wounds cleaned. It irritated her.

"Ah...I'm, I'm not really sure," Michael responded as he tried to think beyond the pain echoing through his body, the pounding of his head and the very large black hole where everything he was sure he should know was currently located. Pulling his eyes away from the woman, he scanned his surrounds. Maybe that would help. It didn't.

"What? You got that amethyst thing?" Inez asked as she watched her charge. He was huddled against the wall, looking around like he was completely lost. Well, she imagined he was.

"You mean amnesia? Yes, I think I do," Michael responded unconsciously. The word brought a flood of information flowing through Michael's mind, making his head pound worse. Medical jargon that made perfect sense flashed before his eyes. All of the physical and psychological causes of amnesia were there for the taking. Still, a name was completely beyond him.

"Great. Now I'll never get rid of you," Inez growled. The water in the bowl was dirty anyway. Prying herself off the floor, Inez moved to the door and threw the contents of the bowl beyond the blanket. Turning back inside, she shuffled over to her water supply. She was going to have to get more in the next day or so but they'd be all right for a little while. She paused to rinse out the bowl before refilling it. Turning back to her charge, she found him staring at her, his blue eyes wide with fear. What the hell?

"Who are you?" the man asked, his voice trembling slightly. There was another red haired woman staring at him. She was too well dressed, too clean to belong here. One second he'd been staring at the wall, trying to remember something, anything about who he was, not about the injuries he was suffering from, the next this woman was standing in front of him. There was deep concern on her beautiful face as she took a step towards him.

"Michael? Are you all right?" the woman asked. She was standing just in front of Inez. His rescuer didn't even seem to notice that she was standing there. Growling under her breath about fools, Inez took a step forward...and walked right through the other woman.

"What the hell?" Michael exclaimed as he tried to back even further into the wall.

"What, you afraid of me now?" Inez grumbled as she sat down in front of the man again. Maybe picking him up wasn't such a good idea. Her life would have been much simpler if she hadn't.

"Michael?" the red haired woman said, her face looking frightened over Inez's right shoulder. For her part, Inez continued to grumble under her breath as she wrung out her cloth and started where she'd left off.

"Who is she?" Michael asked, looking directly at Inez. Surely his rescuer could see the woman. The room wasn't big enough for her not to.

"Who?" Inez grunted. Now that he'd completely lost his mind, Inez found that he didn't seem to be feeling the pain any more. That worked just fine for her. But, to set her mind at ease, she took a quick look around her home. Yep, they were the only two people there.

"Her...the woman standing behind you!" Michael exclaimed. Was he insane as well as completely unaware of who he was? Damn but he hoped not.

"Great. Just what I need," Inez breathed. Sitting back again, she looked the man in the face. There was such fear there that she couldn't stay mad at him. Exasperated, she reached out and touched his face. "There's no one here but us."

"What happened to you, Michael?" the woman behind Inez said. "Why don't you know me?"

"Why should I?" Michael responded. He'd caught hold of Inez's hand and was holding tightly to it. The sensation of her skin under his fingers kept him grounded while the world around him seemed to be disintegrating with each second.

"I'm Anna," the woman said. She reached forward, as if to touch him. Instead, her hand passed through Inez's head and then her chest.

Scared beyond all imagining, Michael turned away from the hand, releasing Inez's in the process and came to rest with his back towards the two women and his front pressed against the wall. "Leave me alone!"

For the first time Inez realized there really was something going on here. If this big, muscular man could be reduced to this quivering mass so quickly then there was something very strange behind her.

"I don't know who or what you are, but go away. You're scaring him," Inez said. She felt foolish but what the hell. Gently, she placed a hand on Michael's shoulder, trying to get him to roll back towards her. There were still injuries to be attended to.

Slowly, Inez got Michael to roll over. The fear on his handsome face was heart breaking until he managed to scan the entire room. The relief that quickly replaced the fear told her that whatever it had been was gone.

"Now, hold still," Inez grated. Trying to ignore the cold sweat that had broken out over the man's skin, she returned to her task.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! Is there anyone out there? I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this story. My muse hasn't been cooperating at all. I've been trying to write this story but another one 'Redemption' keeps getting in the way. But, I'm even having trouble writing that one. I'm really sorry. I hope there are still people interested in this. **

**If you're still out there, thank you for sticking with me. The next update won't take nearly as long! I hope! Have a great weekend.**

**Susanne**

Chapter Three

Under Inez's fingers she could feel the young man's smooth skin rippling in response to the pain she was causing him. Sighing, trying to ignore the unsettling sensation, the woman wiped once again at the large bruise over Michael's right kidney. The man moaned quietly and tried to pull away from her. Grumbling under her breath, Inez brushed against the damage a little more carefully. This was going to take forever.

OOOOO

Her charge was sound asleep in his blankets. Cleaning him up had caused him more pain than she would have liked but it had been necessary. Inez had cleaned every inch of the man's body, except for that area covered by his underwear. That was more than she currently felt like dealing with. Humming to herself, she cleaned up what she'd used on the man and then headed outside. She needed to check her traps.

Inez hated to leave the man alone but she didn't really have a choice. So she moved as quickly as she could to check each trap and reset them if they'd been sprung. Some of them were in out of the way places where she would have a better chance of catching something. Others were in more populated areas. Still, it took her three hours to walk her lines and then return to her home.

The traps hadn't yielded quite as much as she'd hoped but Inez figured the two of them could survive on the six rats she'd caught and a few other things she had stashed in the room. Her bounty hanging from a rope dangling from her left hand, Inez pushed the blanket aside and stepped in.

"Leave me alone!" the man was shouting. Her ward was backed up into the corner of the wall, huddled, as if expecting a blow, and had an arm up to protect his face. He was staring around his arm at something or someone to Inez's right. Spinning around, the woman checked that area of her room. It was empty.

"Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Just go away!" Michael panted as he turned his face toward the wall. Anna was back. He'd tried to touch her, to assure himself that he'd been imagining things last time. When his hand had passed through Anna's body he'd freaked. None of this made sense. Why was he seeing this woman? Why did she insist on calling him Michael? The name didn't appear to be familiar. He felt no connection to it at all. It didn't feel like it fit.

"Are you talking to that woman again or me?" Inez asked. Michael wasn't looking at her. His blue eyes were focused above her slightly and to the right. It was unnerving. The expression of fear on the man's face was unnerving too. Clearly he knew he was seeing things and was frightened by the implications.

"Her," Michael responded. He kept looking over his arm to see if Anna had gone but she continued to hover around him, trying to get him to respond to her, asking him questions. The fact that Michael appeared to not know her was particularly frustrating.

"Michael. You have to know me. You were married to me in Alaska," Anna said as she tried to move closer again. Bruises were erupting over Michael's well muscled body. She knew he had a tendency to push his body to the limit but this looked to be well beyond that. Even on his worst nights playing hockey Michael hadn't come looking like this. "What happened to you?"

"Leave me alone!" Michael shouted as Anna tried to come closer. The woman was so obviously concerned for him but her presence made his skin crawl. Was he having a mental break down? That was entirely possible given his present circumstances.

"Now you heard him, lady. Get out of my house," Inez growled as she carefully placed her catch on the ground near the entrance and advanced towards Michael. She made sure to move slowly to not antagonize him further, while holding her hands up to let him know she meant no harm. This guy really was becoming more trouble than he was worth.

As if responding to Inez's words, Anna disappeared. That was nearly as unnerving as having her hovering over him. Breathing heavily, despite the creaking ribs, Michael tried to calm his nerves while blinking rapidly. Desperately he tried to remember something, anything. All he found was darkness before he woke up with Inez standing near him. Bile threatened.

"Let's get you a little more comfortable," Inez said as she knelt down beside Michael and proceeded to get him to lie back down and straighten out his long limbs. While she was helping the blond man get comfortable, she had a moment to notice his hands. They were long, lean and incredibly undamaged. This was obviously a man who didn't do physical, menial labour. The only signs of stress she could see probably had to do with the rippling muscles the man seemed to possess.

"Do you remember anything yet?" Inez asked. She'd gotten Michael horizontal and was pulling the blankets up over his bare skin. It was chilly in the room. His skin was covered in goose bumps in response to the temperature and he'd begun to tremble ever so slightly.

Michael paused for a moment while he tried once again to remember. All he got for his efforts was the beginning of a pounding headache. Sighing, Michael turned his head towards the wall before he answered the woman. "No. Nothing."

"Well, since you don't have any place better to be, why don't you have supper with me?" Inez suggested as she moved over to gather up her catch. Humming to herself, Inez proceeded to gut and clean the rats while she waited for a small propane stove to heat up. She'd moved the stove towards the door and braced the blanket to the side. She knew enough to keep from getting poisoned by carbon monoxide.

Within minutes Inez had the rats cooking on the stove. Michael was silent, simply facing the wall, while the woman continued to putter around her room, pulling out one or two other things for them to eat. She wasn't completely out of food yet but tomorrow she was going to have to take a longer run to get more. That would require that she got someone to watch over her ward. There was no way she was going to push him around in her shopping cart and he wasn't in good enough shape to be able to walk on his own.

"I'm going to have to go out for a little while after we eat," Inez said as she turned off the stove and filled two battered plates with food. "You will be okay, right?"

The only response Michael gave her was a low grunt. He was still trying to figure out who the hell Anna was. He didn't have any sense of connection with the woman. Her face didn't appear familiar and neither had her voice. Yet, she seemed so sure he should know her.

"Here. Eat your food while it's hot. Once the meat gets cold it gets really greasy and hard to swallow," Inez informed Michael. She settled her body down on the floor beside Michael's bed and bumped the man's shoulder with his plate. Sighing, Michael slowly rolled over onto his other side and then carefully pushed his body up into a sitting position. Accepting the plate, Michael eyed the food dubiously. He didn't recognize the meat but somehow that seemed like a good thing. Just as he was considering telling the woman he wasn't hungry, Michael's stomach growled loudly.

"Better hurry," Inez said. Shrugging, Michael picked up the first small creature and pulled a piece of meat off of the bone. Barely bothering to chew, he swallowed it and moved onto the next piece. If nothing else, he was going to need the strength to get the hell out of here.

The room was quiet as the two ate their food. Inez was careful to eat everything on her plate, Michael wasn't quite so fastidious. The meat wasn't sitting well so he left more on the bone than he probably ate. Still, by the time he was done, Michael was tired. Handing Inez the plate when she offered to take it, the blond doctor carefully moved back under his blankets and promptly fell asleep.

Grumbling under her breath, Inez picked Michael's supper clean before she put the refuse left over in a bag. She'd take that and the cleanings from the rats out of the room when she left. The rats didn't need an excuse to find her home. Quickly, Inez cleaned the two plates and the other dishes she'd made before glancing at the sleeping Michael one more time. Satisfied he wasn't going anywhere Inez hefted her garbage and headed out.

OOOOO

"Snow, I need a favour," Inez said. She'd left her tunnel and made her way through several more to where her friend Snow stayed. It was a crowded place. Some of the hookers that didn't have pimps stayed there because there was some safety in numbers. Inez knew most of the people living here but she didn't like people enough to move here herself. The woman she had approached was small boned, short woman who appeared to be ten years younger than she was. That helped her get more money from her johns but it also left open for more abuse. Inez had patched the small woman up more than once after a bad date.

"Sure, red, anything you want," the bleach blond woman responded, an easy smile gracing her pleasant face. She wasn't beautiful but she was skinny. That also meant she made more money than some. That was a source of jealously for some of the other working girls, yet another strike against her in an all ready hard life.

"I have to go out tomorrow to get food. Can you come down to my place and watch over someone for me?" Inez asked. The place was dark except for small fires burning here and there for people to get warm in the cool, damp air of the tunnels and to cook over. It was more of a communal existence but it was one that worked for everyone living in the tunnel.

"Who is it this time? Someone I know?" Snow asked, genuinely curious. She knew Inez was the closest to a doctor most of the tunnel people had. That meant that she sometimes had people staying with her if they were too sick or injured to stay in their own places. The tunnels weren't a good place to have an open wound.

"No, you don't know him. Come by after lunch, okay?" Inez asked. She could feel a lot of eyes on her. Some of them were from the dark places she tried to hide from. Suddenly she felt an intense need to be back in her own place.

"Sure thing, red. See you tomorrow," Snow said as she settled back down on her fold up chair she'd put near one of the fires. She wasn't wearing a lot of clothes because she was going to head out to work soon. Inez had done a lot for her. She was always willing to help when she could. Besides, it didn't do to get on the woman's bad side. Sometimes the clinica was too far away.

"Be careful out there," Inez responded as she quickly retreated back down the tunnel. There were too damned many people in that place. Several times Inez stopped to look around her to make sure no one was following. Sometimes people thought she had drugs and such and would ransack her place while she was gone. She hated to take the time to clean up after them. Besides, who knew what they'd do to the blond man while she was gone.

Soon enough, Inez slipped back into her room. Across the way Michael continued to sleep, gentle snores were emitted with each exhale. Inez figured it had something to do with his bruised side. Picking up the lamp, she moved over beside her bed. In a minute she had removed a few layers of clothing before she settled under the blankets. With one last look at Michael, Inez extinguished the light and then promptly fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

By lunch the next day Inez was more than ready to get out for a while. Michael had spent a great deal of time sleeping but when he wasn't he seemed to spend most of his conscious time arguing with that invisible woman. It unnerved Inez. She knew too many people who saw things that weren't there, that could turn violent in an instant. She knew that based on the man's injuries that he wouldn't be able to do much to her before she incapacitated him with a well placed punch or kick but it did nothing to console her. Michael was a big, powerful man. Inez wasn't either of those things. Still, after he ate what meagre food she came up with Michael had settled back into his blankets and fallen sound asleep again.

"Who is he?" Snow asked as she looked down at Michael's sleeping form. Damn but he was handsome under the bruises and far too clean cut. He didn't belong down here. The simple fact that his hair was so well cut told her that.

"I found him," Inez responded as she collected what she needed for her trip. Michael sighed heavily before he moved slightly into a more comfortable position and fell back asleep. "He needs to be watched over. Just ignore him when he starts talking about the invisible one."

"Invisible one?" Snow parroted as she turned back to Inez.

"I don't know. He just talks to her sometimes. Don't think he likes her much. Just ignore him," Inez instructed. With a final glance at Michael and a nod at Snow, she slipped out of her home and made her way down the corridor.

Unsure of what else to do, Snow settled into Inez's chair and sat watching the man as he continued to sleep blissfully unaware of her. Work the previous night had been harder than usual for Snow. One trick took what he wanted and then refused to pay her. Snow had been around long enough that this didn't happen to her very often. When it did it put her in a very bad mood. She'd seriously considered telling Inez that there was no way she was going to babysit for her. That was until she'd laid eyes on the sleeping man. He was too beautiful, too perfect despite his wounds.

Looking down at his sleeping face, Snow felt the anger and humiliation from last night came back to her. Logically she knew the man lying on the floor a few feet from her feet was not responsible for her being used by that bastard. The more she thought about it, though, the angrier she became. Damn men and their piece of meat! She hated them, all of them.

Quickly she stood up and left the room. Pacing out in the hallway she tried to calm her anger. Snow had promised Inez. She didn't want to hurt the man. Rationally he hadn't done anything to her. Irrationally, she wanted to barge back into the room and castrate the son of a bitch. Taking a few more calming breaths, Snow paced some more. The time wasn't going to pass fast enough.

OOOOO

The trip to Inez's usual hunting grounds seemed to take longer than usual. She took extra precautions to make sure no one followed her. She didn't want to bring anyone back to her charge. During her travels, Inez tried to pick up some clean gauze, tape and ointment to tend to Michael's injuries. She'd done all she could but she knew there were other alternatives out in the darkness that worked better, faster. Unfortunately, most places insisted that she pay for these items. Inez didn't have much money. Taking bottles in for recycling and tins and everything else she could find really didn't pay all that well. Up until now she hadn't really noticed.

Cursing under her breath, Inez hitched her jacket while she stared at the prices on the shelves. This was her third pharmacy but the prices kept getting higher. On top of that, the man behind the counter was watching her like a hawk. He had a darkness in his soul that set her teeth on edge. Frustrated, Inez huffed before turning to face the man. Deliberately, she stared him in the eye, to let him know she wasn't afraid of him, before turning and shuffling out the door.

The temperature had been dropping all day. While she stood outside on the sidewalk, trying to figure out her next move, Inez felt a chill stir through her body. With one hand she pulled her jacket just a little bit tighter. The raw wind brought tears to the corners of her eyes. Angrily, she wiped at them with her other hand. Once her eye sight was clear again, she realized she was staring at the sign hanging outside the clinica. Her heart went still.

Surely they would give her what she needed, right? It rankled in her craw to ask for help. Inez was quite proud of her independence even though most of it was due to necessity. She didn't want the dark to have a hold of her at all. Asking for help was a chance for the darkness to get a toe hold. Still, this wasn't for her. Hitching her jacket up, Inez braced herself before carefully crossing the street and pushing the door open. Just as she was about to enter, she stopped. Inez couldn't do it.

Frustrated, the red haired lady turned and headed along the front of the building. Just as she passed it, Inez spied the back alley. That was a better place to be. There were times that the darkness was a blessing. Shuffling down the alley, Inez eventually found herself at the back of the clinica. The chain link fence was rather off putting but she chose to ignore it for the sake of her charge. Setting into a dark corner, Inez prepared to wait.

It didn't take too long before the back door opened and a dark haired young man came out. Sitting on a metal chair, the man pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and lit one up. Inez wasn't entirely sure but she figured he was as good a person to ask as any. If he came out of the back door, Inez figured he had to work there. Stepping out of the dark corner, Inez made her way through the fence towards the dark haired man.

He must have heard her footsteps because the young man looked up at Inez questioningly. "The entrance to the clinic is in front," the man said. Inez couldn't tell if he was amused by her or frustrated. It didn't matter. All she needed was his help and the darkness didn't seem to have a hold on him. Not yet anyway.

"I don't need the doctor. I have a friend, though, who needs bandages and such," Inez said still eyeing the man up. Nope, still no darkness.

"Really?" the man asked, concern flashing over his handsome, young features. "Where is your friend?"

"He's not here. I just need bandages," Inez tried to press. She was beginning to regret asking the man. She really didn't want to take him home with her but she had the feeling it was going to come down to that if she was going to help the man.

"I'm a doctor, Dr. Zeke Barnes. If your friend is in need of bandages, he might need a doctor too. I can go get my bag and be back in two minutes. Will you wait for me?" the man asked. Not willing to take a chance, Zeke was all ready back pedalling towards the door. If it was anyone else suggesting that a friend was hurt Zeke wasn't sure he'd believe them. Chances were high that they were just hoping to get him alone to steal drugs or needles from him. The red haired woman, however, he'd seen around the neighbourhood and knew that she kept to herself and didn't ask for help, ever.

"Well," Inez hedged as she too began to back pedal. She REALLY didn't want to take this stranger home with her. BUT, she knew that Michael needed more than she could give him. Besides, she was starting to feel a little claustrophobic with all these people in her home. It would be really nice to be alone again.

Before Inez had a chance to finish her thought, Zeke had slipped back inside the clinica. Grumbling under her breath, Inez waited impatiently. Just as she was about to change her mind and leave, the doctor returned. She'd expected him to be carrying one of those black leather bags instead he had a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Lead the way," Zeke said, waiting patiently.

"I really don't want to do this," Inez said, eyeing the man once more.

"I just want to help," Zeke said. Kate had said he was nuts to do this. There were enough patients in line at the clinic now that Michael hadn't shown up without him doing house calls. Once he'd explained the circumstances, she'd finally agreed.

Still grumbling, Inez turned on her heel and began to retrace her steps. All of a sudden, she was feeling an intense need to get back to Michael. Somehow she sensed that there was something very wrong happening. Ignoring the man behind her, Inez tried to cover as much ground as she could.

OOOOO

Michael wasn't sure if he was dreaming. If he was, it was the most real dream he could ever remember having. Someone or something was pulling at his clothes, trying to strip him. Under normal circumstances, Michael wouldn't have complained, so long as it had been his idea. At the moment, though, he didn't think he'd agreed to this.

Opening his eyes, Michael found a woman hovering over him. Blinking, he tried to see if he remembered her face. Nothing came to him though. Then a long nailed hand slipped under his clothes to grip his penis. There was no tenderness in the action, only malice. The touch quickly changed from cautious and exploratory to rough and painful.

"Who are you?" Michael gasped as he tried to dislodge the unwanted touch. He wasn't coordinated enough at the moment to be particularly successful though. His skin squirmed in reaction to the woman's clumsy advances. He didn't want this. Then, to make matters worse, Anna was back again, hovering in the background.

"None of your business, prick," the woman gripping and pulling on his flaccid penis hissed. Michael tried to push on the woman's shoulder. Due to his injuries and nonexistent coordination, Michael accidently struck the woman in the face. "Son of a bitch!"

Angry beyond words, Snow slugged Michael in the left side. The flash of pain left Michael gasping as the woman thrust her hand back into his pants. This time she was using her long nails to her advantage. Instinctively, Michael curled away from her, winding up on his right side. He was having trouble breathing. Somewhere deep in his mind he knew that one of his broken ribs must have punctured his lung. He knew what to do but his body refused to cooperate while the woman started to rain blows down on him. He was lucky that Snow was not particularly strong and was quickly losing her anger.

Just as consciousness became elusive, the curtain at the entrance to the room was pulled back and Inez burst into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inez demanded, watching her friend in disbelief. Snow had never shown any indication of violence before. Seeing the white haired woman striking the apparently unconscious man shocked her. Behind her, Dr. Zeke pushed his way inside the room. Stepping forward, he caught hold of Snow around the waist and pulled the woman to her feet.

"Son of a bitch hit me!" Snow shouted as she tried to reach Michael once again. Zeke caught her again and gently but firmly led her outside the room.

Still in shock, Inez turned her attention to Michael. The man looked pale and was panting for breath. Something new was wrong with him. Despair threatened. For once she was thankful that the doctor had followed her. Using a damp cloth, Inez began wiping at the new trickles of blood that had started on his face and arms.

"She's gone," Dr. Zeke said as he came back into the room. In the commotion he hadn't had the time to see who his patient was. Now, though, he saw Michael's face for the first time. Stopping dead, he stared at Michael's battered face for a few seconds before he was able to pull himself out of it. "How long has he been here?"

"A few days," Inez said, hedging. It seemed like it had been forever since the man had fallen into her life.

"Why didn't he get you to come find us sooner?" Zeke asked as he settled on the ground beside Michael. Gently, he rolled his fellow doctor onto his back and began his examination. What he found surprised him. How the hell had this happened?

"Why would he have me do that?" Inez asked. "He doesn't know who he is. He keeps talking to a woman named Anna but I can't see her."

Zeke stopped in his ministrations long enough to stare at the woman. He hoped desperately that she was being delusional. Otherwise, it was Michael who was suffering from delusions. That was not something he wanted to add to the man's list of complaints. "I've got to get him to the clinic, his lung has collapsed. Do you have any way to move him?"

"My cart," Inez stated. "That's how I got him here."

"How did this happen?" Zeke asked. He was doing what he could to help the neurologist breathe better but he really needed more equipment than he currently had. Pulling out his cell phone from his pocket, Zeke checked to see if he had cell service here. No such luck, of course.

"Thugs in the park, beat him up, stole everything he had. I found him just as they left," Inez said as she watched him work. This doctor was good.

"I thought he was smarter than that," Zeke muttered under his breath. He looked around Inez's quarters hoping to find something, anything that would help him move Michael without aggravating his injuries. That was the last thing he needed. Unfortunately, there was nothing but the woman's shopping cart, damn. Michael had been well tended, Zeke had to give Inez that much. Despite the unsanitary conditions, she'd managed to keep his wounds relatively clean. That was the one thing the doctor had going for him at the moment. "Okay, let's get him in the cart."

_A/N: Heelllooooo out there! I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this story or even interested in it. It's been far too long since I last updated this. I'm so very sorry! I have no excuses, well, none worth putting down here anyway. I am working on the next chapter. It'll probably be the last one. I hope you stick around for the ride. _

_Bye for now._

_Susanne_


End file.
